Cracker-stacking machine.



No. 679,852. Patented Aug. 6, IQDI. E. MAGKAY.

CBAGKER STACKING MACHINE.

(Application filed Aug. 28, 1897.)

4 Sl1eets-Sheet I.

Patented Aug. 6, [90L E. MADKAYQ v GBACKER STACKING MAGI'HNE.

(Application filed Aug. 28, 1897.)

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(No Model.)

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Patented Aug. 6, r9011 E. mqluw. GRAOKER STACKING MACHINE.

(Application filed. Aug. 28, 1887.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

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(Applicatioh filed Aug. 28, 1897.)

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(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT- OEFIcE.

EDMUND MAOKAY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

CRACKER-STACKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 679,852, dated August6, 1901.

Application filed August 28, 1897. Serial No, 649,811. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND MAOKAY, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Jersey City, Hudson county, and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cracker-StackingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a cracker-stacking machinewhich by reason of its improved construction can operate more quicklyand more accurately than crackerstacking machines heretofore used. Tothis end my invention is adapted to handling a larger quantity ofcrackers, biscuit, or similar articles at a given time and is moreeffectively secured against clogging.

Cracker-stacking machines consist, essentially, of a feeding device orapron on which the crackers are deposited by an operator, a separatingdevice to which the crackers are fed by the feeding-apron and by whichthey are separated into rows, and a receiving device or apron on whichthese separated rows of crackers are carried until picked up by anoperative, who packs them in boxes, cans, barrels, or otherwise. Incracker-stacking machines heretofore used care had to be enercised bythe operative who deposited the crackers from the baking tray or panupon the feeding-apron so that all the crackers faced in the samedirection. Only a small quantity of crackers could therefore bedeposited at one time. This care is unnecessary in my apparatus, and alarge quantity of crackers can be thrown into the machine at once.

One form of my invention is shown in the V shaft 17, journaled in theframework and driven from a source of power. (Not shown.)

C is a hopper into which a tray or pan of crackers, biscuit, or similararticles is emptied as often as fresh trays are brought within reach ofthe operator who stands at that end of the machine.

D is the lifting device by means of which these crackers are taken fromthe hopper C and deposited on the feeding device of the machine. Thislifting device consists, pri marily, of an endless apron d, provided atconvenient intervals with the strips or shelves d and passing over thethe rollers Dand D Motion is communicated to the roller D, which ismounted upon the shaft Z), journaled in the framework, by thesprocket-wheel B ,on the outer end of said shaft and shown in dottedlines in Fig. 2. This sprocket-wheel is connected and moved in unisonwith the upper sprocketwheel B by the chain (P. The upper sprocket-wheelB is mounted 011 the shaft 19 journaled in the framework and carrying onits outer end the gear-wheel B This wheel meshes with the smaller gear13 on the shaft 6 journaled in the framework. The gear-wheel B mesheswith the gear-wheel B on the shaft bf, carrying the pulley B, which isconnected by the belt a to the pulley B (see Fig. 1) on the outer end ofthe shaft 1), which carries the main driving-pulley B, as before stated.The other elements of the lifting mechanism are the shelf E and theshelf F, Fig. 2. The strips (1 have a double function. They not onlysupport the crackers during the lifting process, but they tip theshelves E and F. The shelf E is hinged at e on the framework so that itnormally rests in the position shown in Fig. 2, being supported in adownwardly-inclined position by resting against the shoulder e of theframe work. This shelf constitutes a movable bot tom to the hopper O andis raised by each successive strip cl of the apron das it comes underthe same in the directionof the arrows. As soon as the strip passes, theshelf E falls back to its normal position. The crackers are thereforelifted by the apron from the under side of the pile in the hopper and asmany of them carried to the top of the lifting device as can findsupport upon the apron in its inclined position. The tendency of thisconstant agitation of the crackers at the bottom of the hopper, incombination with ICO posited thereon.

the steepness of the incline of the apron, is to allow only thosecrackers to reach the top of the lifting device Which are so presentedto the apron as to rest on the fiat under side of the cracker. Crackerswhich are upside down are pretty sure to fall back into the hopper,because their rounded surface does not support them enough to reach thetop of the incline. It therefore becomes unnecessary, as before stated,for the operator who supplies the hopper to see that the crackers arefed face up, as the machine does that, the crackers being contin uallyturned over by the shelf E at the bottom of the hopper and onlysucceeding in reaching the top of the lifting de vice when they arepresented to the apron face up. The shelf F is hinged atf to theframework and is normally held tipped up, as shown, by thebalance-weightf", attached to the free end of the shelf by the cord fwhich passes over the pulley f As one of the strips d comes in contactwith the free end of the shelf F it depresses said shelf, at the sametime depositing the crackers which were between two of the stripsthereon. The crackers fall face upward upon the upper side of said shelfF and thence slide down upon the feeding-apron in the direction of thearrows. As soon as the shelf F is released by the st rip d it isreturned to its normal position, a stop f carried thereby, reaching theupper point of the slot)" in the framework of the machine and in whichsaid stop plays both in its downward motion and when drawn up by thebalance-Weightf, thereby throwing off any crackers which may have failedto slip off the shelf when originally de- This operation is continuousas long as there are any crackers remaining in the hopper G.

The second part of the machine is the feeding device G. This is of usualconstruction, consisting of the apron (1 which passes over the rollers DD and D mounted, respectively, on the shafts b b and b, journaled in theframework. The position of the shaft b in its journal-box g is madeadjustable, so that the apron d can be kept at the proper tension.Motion is communicated to this apron by the pulley B", which, as beforeexplained, is mounted on the shaft 1). This shaft also carries thepulley 13 Fig. 2, which is connected by the belt a with the'pulley B",which is mounted on the shaft 71 and drives the receiving-apron, ashereinafter explained. The shaft b is journaled in the framework A.

V The brush H serves to keep the crackers back, so that they are carriedin a single layer by the apron d to the separating device. This brush ismounted on a shaft b 'ournaled in the framework, and derives motionthrough the sprocket-wheel B mounted on said shaft and engaged by thechain 01 which also engages the sprocket-wheel B on the shaft b.

The third part of the machine is the separating device K, by means ofwhich the 'movable partitions 7t.

crackers which are fed irregularly 'by the apron d are divided into rowsor stacks and fed onto the receiving-apron in proper rows. They are alsoinverted while passing through the separating device, so that they arepresented upside down, and therefore in a position more easily to beseized by the operator. This separating and inverting device is shown indetail in Figs. 3 and 4, and consists, primarily, of a box or channel K,provided with the The lower part of these partitions 7c is stationary,the upper part being hinged thereto by the hinges k Permanent channelsare thus created at the bottom of the box, communicating withcorresponding channels in the receiving device- Motion is communicatedto the movable part of the partitions It is from the shaft 1), asfollows: Said shaft carries the cam L,in the campath of which plays thestud L, Figs. 3 and 4. This stud is secured to a board M, which reachesacross the top of the separating device, but leaving sufficient spacefor the necessary play of the partition. The extreme positions of thestud and the partition are shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. Fromthe under side of the board M project the pins m, which connect with thefree end of the partitions 70, one pin to each partition, in such manneras to allow just enough play to the connection to prevent binding whenthe partition is at the angle shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3. As the camL revolves, the stud and board and with them the extreme end of thepartitions 7c are reciprocated constantly in front of the crackers,which are fed to them by the apron d It is obvious, therefore, that asthe forward edge of a cracker strikes the end of a partition the crackerwill be directed thereby into the proper channelthat is, into thechannel which corresponds with the larger portion of the cracker as itstrikes the partition. In this way the crackers, however irregularlyfed, are separated into rows at the entrance of the separatingbox, andso slide to the bottom thereof. The openings 1', leading into thereceiving-channel at the bottom of the'box, are alternately enlarged orcontracted, as follows: The inclined bottom M of the box slides up anddown under the partitions k by reason of the fact that a board M whichforms a stationary support for the sliding bottom M, serves as a guidetherefor when moved by the pitmen N. These pitmen, attached to thesliding bottom M, are operated by the reciprocation of the crank-rod 0,Fig. 1,which serves as a rock-shaft, journaled in the framework anddriven by the rod N and the eccentric P on the shaft 12. For eachrevolution of the shaft 1), therefore, the sliding bottom of theseparating. device is raised and lowered. In rising it enlarges theopening into the receiving-channels and in descending contracts saidopening, thus preventing enough crackers block the same.

The last part of the machine is the receiving device,which is ofordinary construction, and is therefore shown broken away in thedrawings. This device consists of the apron d on the roller 13 andanother roller, now shown and operated, as before described, by thepulley B The space above this apron is divided by the partitions k Fig.1, into channels corresponding with the channels of the separating-box.In descending through the separating-box the crackers originallypresented face up get turned over and are therefore received in thesereceiving-channels face down.

The operation of my improved crackerstacking machine will be readilyunderstood, I think, without further description.

1. A cracker-stacking inachine'consisting of a lifting device placed inadvance of the feeder, a feeder, a separating and inverting device, anda receiving device adapted and arranged to receive a mixed supply ofcrackers, select and arrange them in suitable rows, substantially asshown and described.

2. A cracker stacking machine provided with a separating and invertingdevice which consists of a box provided with a series of hingedpartitions, the movable portions of which are adapted to reciprocate infront of the crackers presented by the feeding device, mechanism wherebyreciprocating motion is given to said partition, and suitable feedingdevices and their operating mechanisms,

whereby the crackers are presented, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. In a cracker-stacking machine a lifting and arranging device whichconsists of an inclined lifting-apron and its operating devices, ahopper at one end of said lifting-apron, and provided with a movablebottom intermittently lifted by said apron and at the other end with areceiving-shelf intermittently depressed by said apron, whereby thecrackers thrown into said hopper are constantly turned about andselected when they assume a faceupward position and so lifted andtransferred to the feeding device of said cracker-stacking machine.

4. In a cracker-stacking machine aseparating device which consists of abox placed between the feeding and receiving devices and provided withan inclined reciprocating bottom and a series of partitions the upperportions of which reciprocate laterally, dividing said box into channelscorresponding to the channels of the receiving device, means foroperating said sliding bottom and said partitions whereby the crackerspresented to said separating device are'divided, inverted and deliveredin rows or stacks to said receiving device and a receiving deviceprovided with suitablechannels for receiving the crackers EDMUND MACKAY.

Witnesses:

W. P. PREBLE, J12, J. KENNEDY;

